Despite budget cuts, West Holmes still must help fund eLearning students

By BRANDON ZAFFINI
Staff WriterPublished: June 5, 2014 4:00AM

W. HOLMES DISTRICT -- Even with $1 million in budget cuts slated for the 2014-15 fiscal year, resulting in reduced employees, programs and miscellaneous services, the district must continue funding the education of students who no longer attend West Holmes schools.

Under state law, if parents send their children to another school -- whether it be another public school, charter school or online community school -- the local school district must help to fund that choice.

The requirement is a drain on school finances and needs to be addressed politically, said Treasurer Jamie Zeigler, who asked that parents lobby legislators for a change.

"People need to realize that these community schools are for-profit institutions," noted Zeigler. "There are people in Akron, in Columbus and all over the state who own a community school, and who have a multi-million-dollar bottom line as a result of taking tax dollars from local school districts."

Last year alone, West Holmes spent more than $340,000 for students who were enrolled in an online community school, all of that money being used "to create a profit for private business owners," Zeigler said.

That number has fallen since 2012, when more than $452,000 went to community schools.

The decrease is partly due to the response of school officials who implemented an online schooling alternative -- the West Holmes eLearning Program.

With the new option, students can receive a West Holmes diploma while finishing their schooling online. What's more, unlike other digital learning options, the eLearning Program is closely monitored by school staff who ensure students keep up with the work load and don't fall too far behind.

That sets the program apart from other digital learning options, noted Superintendent Kris Perone, in which "it may take longer to catch up with a student who isn't doing the work."

More than 80 students used the eLearning Program last year alone, all of them opting to stay in the district rather than attend an outside community school.

That's a positive trend for school finances, said Perone. "I don't like the number of families seeking education elsewhere, what that means for us financially, but we have to keep thinking outside of the box."

While families are choosing online learning for a variety of reasons, Perone said many "are doing it correctly and for the right reasons." Some students, for example, are already working at their chosen career, and while they want to continue their education, staying in a school building all day long doesn't seem to make sense.

For most other students, however, staying at the brick and mortar school is the best option.

"Each case is different, but nothing replaces having a teacher in front of (the) class, providing face-to-face instruction," Perone said.

Just the same, students who choose either the traditional learning format or the eLearning Program -- rather than another community school -- help to keep money in the district at a time in which every dollar counts, according to Zeigler.

Reporter Brandon Zaffini can be reached at 330-674-5676 or bzaffini@the-daily-record.com.